Epilogue
BOTH
WELLS
I’m laying in bed, trying unsuccessfully to get Kellan to crawl back under the covers with me.
It’s probably for the best though, given that the heat he produces is a year-round experience.
Now that it’s July, we’re rolling into true summer, and we only have a small air-conditioning unit in the window of our one-bedroom apartment.
Once my lease ended at the end of May, we moved into a small place in Warwick, in the same building where Kellan’s mom lives and works.
It’s been great, getting to spend so much time with Sammy and Joey, who are always likely to show up at any minute for a day of rabble rousing during their summer vacation.
I also don’t hate that chasing two kids around for hours a day has me in the best shape of my life.
But, I’ll give it to Kellan. Today, especially, I don’t blame him for pacing back-and-forth at the foot of the bed.
Even though it’s barely nine a.m., we’re waiting on an official offer to come in from an NHL team.
Two teams have expressed unofficial interest, which I think is woefully low for the value my incredible boyfriend could bring to their organization.
But Kellan has explained to me ad nauseam that different rosters are signing for different weak spots in their line-ups each year and that it’s a constantly changing landscape.
Intellectually, I get it, but it’s still annoying as hell that all these teams aren’t giving my baby the respect that he deserves.
“You’re going to get an offer,” I affirm as he finishes what must be his hundredth pass in front of me. “And they can’t call until noon at the earliest. No one is running late to this party yet.”
He lets out an anxious sigh. “Yeah, but what if it’s Seattle?” he says, referring to one of the two teams that have already covertly reached out to him. “There’ll be so much planning to do. We just moved in here, and it’s across the country.”
I relent and stand up. There’s no way he’s coming back to bed. I walk across the room and take his hands in my own. “If it’s Seattle, then we’ll figure it out. I’ll buy you a sexy rain coat and everything.”
He rolls his eyes at me but smiles when he says, “I don’t think that anyone has ever referred to a rain coat as ‘sexy’ before.”
I give him a very appreciative once-over. I love that I can do that now. “Only because they haven’t seen you wearing one.”
And really, we will figure it out. I don’t doubt that for a second. If Kellan is going to Seattle, so am I. Moving again will be a pain in the ass, but it’s the small price to pay for being lucky enough to have found this kind of love.
After graduation, I started a staff position at the tutoring center, where I’ve been working for the last six weeks.
I’m considering getting a Master’s degree so that I can go into teaching, but I wanted to wait to apply until we know where Kellan is going to end up.
I also have a decent amount of money saved from working throughout college.
Even though I couldn’t keep my apartment downtown, it wasn’t hard for us to afford this place together.
And I think that my grandfather always understood what a little asshole he accidentally raised, so I’ll gain access to a separate trust fund when I turn twenty-five, which was left to me upon his death.
But the immediate relief that I felt from them not being able to lord money over me anymore has done more wonders for me than therapy ever could.
So, even if I work for the next few years and wait to get my Master’s degree until then, I’ll be completely fine with that, too.
I realize he hasn’t responded to me. “It’s going to be okay,” I say, knowing with all of my heart that it’s true. No matter what happens, we’ll be okay. More than that, even.
“I’m nervous,” Kellan admits quietly, which is so strange to hear coming from his six-foot-plus, two-hundred-pound body. Somehow, the fact that he’s only wearing a pair of boxer briefs on his toned frame makes him look even more confident.
I run my hands up his arms. I love doing that too, for the record. “It’s completely normal, babe. You’ve worked a really long time for this, and it’s the culmination of a lot of things.”
“What if I don’t get any offers?” He lets out an adorable little wail and adds, “What if I do? Everything is about to change.”
I pluck the phone that he’s holding in a vice grip out of his hands. “I love that you’re way more afraid of moving than you were about falling in love with a man.”
He looks aghast. “I love New England. It’s the only home I’ve ever known.
” That’s another thing that I’ve learned about Kellan–that he truly loves it here, harsh winters and all.
And that, for as much as I didn’t believe it at first, he really does look at falling in love with me like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
He’s not delusional either. We’ve been keeping our relationship relatively private so that it doesn’t negatively impact any career prospects, but he’s settled into our life like it’s as natural as breathing for him.
And in a strange way, it’s helped me accept who I am, even though I tried to pretend for years that I already had.
But casual hookups and rejecting any real intimacy because I knew that my family would never accept a serious partner was just a way for me to pretend that I was living authentically while still not confronting my demons.
After that night with my parents at the stadium, I finally decided that enough was enough. I wasn’t going to let their bigotry stop me from chasing after the person who’s brought me the most happiness in this world.
Looking at him now, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I give him a quick kiss. “Well, lucky for you that the south has very few hockey teams.”
“I’d melt,” he says seriously. “They’d have to build me a little room at the arena to live in. I could be like a little troll that only comes out to play games.”
I laugh and wrap my arm around him, trying to guide him toward the door. “Why don’t you make me breakfast and we can pretend you aren’t so keyed up you’re going to start bouncing off the walls soon. Should I call the boys? Have them run you ragged for a few hours?”
I think he’s about to agree except that I see his eyes darken, a smile playing at his lips that immediately sends heat through my veins. “I’m sure that you can think of a much better way to distract me.”
Without another word, I push him onto the bed. Our bed. And maybe we’ll get a new one in a few months, in a new city, but I don’t care. I’d follow Kellan anywhere.
It’s crazy to think that being forced to tutor him last year was going to be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.
KELLAN
When my phone rings, I’m sitting on the sofa with Wells, chowing down on a plate of eggs.
We’re still not even close to being done with the ‘fucking like bunnies’ stage of our relationship–and I don’t know that we ever will be–but after a few hours, my rumbling stomach was loud enough that it started to kill the mood.
I drop my fork onto my plate, which Wells quickly grabs from my hands and places on the coffee table. It’s 12:05 p.m., which I note since it may be my time of death if the rapid beating of my heart is any indication.
Even though they can’t see me, which I’m grateful for considering I’m almost naked, I sit up straighter. “Kellan O’Reilly,” I say when I answer the call from an unknown number.
I can see Wells shooting me daggers, mouthing for me to put the phone on speaker. I’m honestly wondering if he’s going to tackle me and do it himself, so I relent.
An unfamiliar voice wafts into the room. “Kellan, this is Pete Solomon, GM for the New England Nauticals. I’m hoping to be the first one to catch you today.”
Wells punches me in the leg in his excitement, and I let out an, “oof.”
“Sorry, what was that?” Pete asks.
I point at Wells and give him my most intimidating face before turning my attention back to Pete. “Sorry, Pete. Just a little feedback over here. I didn’t realize that you’d be reaching out.”
I’m trying to keep it together, but this is insane. The New England Nauticals, who play in Boston. They hadn’t contacted me, so I assumed that they weren’t interested.
“We take the free agency signing period seriously.” I can feel that he’s frowning. “I assume other teams have contacted you ahead of today?”
“Uh…” I don’t want to put anyone on blast, so I look at Wells, who, for the first time ever, is apparently out of his depth and speechless.
Thank god it doesn’t seem to be a sticking point with Pete that I can barely string a sentence together.
“It’s okay, I know that stepping into the professional hockey world is intense.
I assumed we wouldn’t be the only ones, which is why I wanted to be the first today.
Your performance this past year has really shown that you’ve grown into the type of player we’d benefit greatly from having on our roster.
Radford was robbed of the Frozen Four title this year, I’ll tell you that much.
” He pauses, and if I’m any more able to talk now than a few seconds ago, he’s sorely mistaken. “Kellan, did I lose you?”
I clear my throat. “Still here. Just… absorbing,” is what I settle on. And even though I still feel the smallest twinge at being reminded of our overtime loss in the finals of the Frozen Four, we still played a hell of a game. I’ll always be proud of that.
“You’re a hometown boy through and through. High school then college, and now playing professionally in New England? You could be just the thing this franchise needs. We’d love to have you, if you’re interested.”
I’m in shock. Pete Solomon is giving me the hard sell to come play for him, when I’d cut off a pinky toe–and that’s just my starting offer for self-maiming–to play for his team. “That sounds great.” I can’t keep the excitement from my voice.
“My team can send over a contract for you to review, and we can go from there. But Kellan, we’re serious about you. If there’s a better offer, we want to match it.”
I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. I look over at Wells, who’s bouncing between looking astounded and trying to pretend like this is the most normal thing in the world.
To get to stay in New England and play professional hockey?
Add in the fact that I’m desperately in love with the man next to me, and I’m grinning so hard that my face hurts.
I’ve also never been good at playing games, which is why all I can think to spit out is, “Pete, I want to play for the Nauticals. Send me the contract, and I’ll sign it.
” Maybe I’ll never be called a great negotiator, but why wouldn’t I accept exactly what I want instead of trying to weasel out a little bit more?
Pete lets out an exhale, and I hear someone else, probably one of his staff, whoop in the background. “Amazing, Kellan. We’re so thrilled to have you.”
“Me too, Pete.”
We hang up a second later with a promise that I’ll get the contract shortly. And then Wells is on me, pinning me against the sofa that used to be in his old apartment. “My boyfriend, playing for the New England Nauticals. Will wonders ever cease?”
I breathe for what feels like the first time in minutes, enjoying how Wells presses into me, anchoring me. “I can’t believe it. I’m still in shock.”
“You’ve worked your ass off, Kellan. You deserve this more than anyone that I know.”
“Do you know a lot of hockey players?” I tease.
He clicks his tongue. “Besides you, I know Dutch and Coop. And Carter.”
“Well, you’re about to know a bunch more of them.”
He leans down and kisses me. When we pull apart, and I’m breathing heavily again from the sheer intensity of my attraction and obsession and devotion to him, he runs his fingers across my lips. “I’m so proud of you. And I can’t believe that I get to be by your side for this next adventure.”
We haven’t talked about how exactly we’ll navigate things once I start playing professionally, but it doesn’t hurt that I’m going to be in the most progressive region of the country while doing it.
Or that with my family close by, along with Wells getting to stay around for Carter, everything seems just a little more manageable as we step into the unknown.
Wells makes an annoyed face then, which I’ve grown to love. He’s never going to stop being opinionated, especially when he doesn’t like something. “He was a dick for bringing up the Frozen Four finals loss though. I’ll be mentioning that to Pete when we officially meet.”
I run my hands along Wells’ torso, his warmth and stability the only true home that I need, even if staying in New England is my preference.
As long as he’s with me, anywhere will be the right place for me.
I smile up at him. “Guess I’ll just have to help the Nauticals get a Stanley Cup one day to make up for it. ”
THE END